Last night, I laid awake in my bed as the clock ticked through the wee hours. 2AM turned to 3AM, and I found myself dozing, only to wake again.
“I hate what I’m doing,” I thought. “I just talk about problems all the time. I spend my days forced to go on the offensive against one of the things I love most in the world — the Catholic Church. When will I have the chance to do something constructive? Positive? Uplifting?” Eventually, my brain grew tired of recriminations, and I fell asleep.
Today, I received an unexpected phone call from a person of influence in Rome. “I just want to tell you,” the person said, their voice enthusiastic and sincere, “that you’re doing fantastic work with OnePeterFive.” I listened, my doubts still fresh in my mind. “You’re not yelling, you’re not screaming, you’re just calmly telling the truth about what’s happening…”
The contrast was providential.
This person also told me about their great hope for the situation in the Church. It won’t last forever, they told me. It will end, and things will be normal again.
“I want some of what you’re having,” I said. I want to believe. But until then, there is only the struggle.
As a long-time reader of 1P5, you know the battle I’m talking about. You just want to live your life as a Catholic, but you can’t let what’s happening go uncontested. As a bearer of bad news — among friends, among family, even in your parish — you know why messengers are so gun shy. But you also know that speaking up isn’t optional. That talking about what is really happening, however unpopular, however much it gets you disinvited from barbecues and dinner parties, isn’t something you can not do. Someone asked me recently about how it’s possible to do this all the time.
“Because I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t.” I said.
This is why you’re a reader of 1P5. Because you know that feeling. In your gut. In your soul. That God is Truth, and telling that Truth is more important than any possible consolation you might otherwise receive. That being careful and reasonable in your criticism doesn’t mean you won’t make enemies. That having people accuse you of “fake news” or put you on Social Media ban lists or tear you down before ever engaging with what you have to say doesn’t give you a free pass to stop saying it.
This is why you read our work. This is why you share our articles and stories. This is why you support us with your hard-earned money.
This month, like every month since August 1st, 2014, 1P5 is in the trenches, leading the fight against the forces of darkness that foolishly thought they could co-opt Christ’s bride. We are few, we are small, but we are tenacious. They are crying “division!” as they find themselves surprised to be on their heels, again and again, retreating before those few outspoken voices they cannot silence. Voices that will not bow before their agenda of “reform” — which is nothing less than an attempt to remake the perennial Catholic faith in their own image.
As we pass this mid-point in the month of April, we are here to once again urge you to continue your tax-deductible* support of our efforts. We may be few, but we are far from silent. And it is you who carry us forward into this fight with your generosity and sacrifice.
As of this writing, we are once again at less than 50% of our monthly goal. We are in need of more contributors. We have bills to pay. And we ask you to help us to continue our work of Rebuilding Catholic Culture, and Restoring Catholic Tradition.
No amount is too large or too small. (We’ve literally had people donate 1 cent – and that’s 1 cent we wouldn’t have otherwise had!) Donations can be made by mail, online, and most importantly for charting future growth, can be set up to reoccur each month. You can also give by clicking the button right on this page:
We know that so many of you have already given so much. We also know that many of you have nothing to give, and we thank you for your continued prayers. We thank all of you who have supported us so generously for so long. We’re now five years into this pontificate, and things aren’t getting any easier. But this is a fight we have to see through to the end.
Please remember that we have Masses offered for Benefactors on the 13th of each month, and other times where possible. Thank you and God bless you for your support of this work!
In Christ,
Steve Skojec
Publisher & Executive Director
OnePeterFive
*OnePeterFive, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN: 47-2159793). Your contributions make this work possible and are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. We are organized exclusively for religious, charitable, and educational purposes.
